


A Monumental Discovery

by Mysteriousasthedarksideofthemoon



Series: Monuments [2]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: A little bit of angst, Booker & Nicky friendship, Booker | Sebastian le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani Friendship, Bookers dead family are mentioned, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani is an Incurable Romantic, Just a tiny smidge, M/M, Soft Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Soft Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 14:42:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28726803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mysteriousasthedarksideofthemoon/pseuds/Mysteriousasthedarksideofthemoon
Summary: Joe's beloved painting, made for him by Nicky was stolen from them centuries ago. A visit to the new museum exhibit 'Ugliest Art of The Renaissance era' may lead to it's return.This is a sequel but can easily be read and understood without reading part 1, which is another fluffy little fic about the same length.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache & Booker | Sebastien & Nile Freeman & Joe | Yusuf & Nicky | Nicolò & Quynh, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Booker | Sebastien le Livre & Nicky | Nicolo di Genova, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Monuments [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2105373
Comments: 14
Kudos: 152





	A Monumental Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is a sequel to my other story A Monument to love, but it's not necessary to read that one to understand this one. The gist of it is that Nicky painted a terrible painting for Joe during the renaissance and Joe had no idea what it was but loved it because Nicky made it for him. When Nicky realised Joe didn't know what it was supposed to depict he wanted to get rid of it but Nicky was reminded of when he couldn't bear the idea of getting rid of a chair Joe built him even though it kept breaking and Joe explained why the picture meant so much to him and they kept it. Joe still has no idea what it is. 
> 
> If you think it works better with Joe never finding out, you can still read just stop reading at 'something that reminds Joe that he had been in the process of a break through after more than five centuries.' Then you can leave the fic and you got to read a bit more fluff.

Paris, 1809

Sebastien Le Livre held his paintbrush an inch away from the painting, unable to let them touch, for the sixth time that day. He had painted over the top of forty pictures in his lifetime so far, every one of them had been technically better than the one in front of him, they had been better in every way he could think of except one.

He heard the door slam downstairs and the sound of giggling as three sets of little feet ran up the stairs taking two at a time. He felt more relieved than he should have.

“Nooooooo! Papa!” An appalled voice admonished him as the door opened and his three children barged into the room. Jean-Pierre and Henri stopped near the doorway as Albert ran right up to him and stood protectively in front of the painting, arms and legs in the widest stance he could manage, which wasn’t very wide at all, his little face scrunched up in concentration, big brown eyes determined.

“You promised!” he said in an indignant voice. Sebastien looked down at him. Despite his son’s best efforts, he was still small enough for him to easily scoop up and carry away, but he looked so defiant, so sure that what he was doing was undoubtedly the right thing, that he was going to save the ugly paining.

“Albert, this is how papa makes money, I have to do this, I can buy you a new toy with the money, a new little boat?”

“Why does he get a new toy?” Jean-Pierre cried in outrage as Henri looked up at him with wide eyes. He was feeling outnumbered, he wished Adele would hurry up, he could hear her walking up the stairs.

“You can all have new toys! And me and maman can have new books, if you just-” Albert was already shaking his head frantically.

“But you have others, just leave this one alone, please, I don’t need any new toys, I want this instead, please papa, you already promised.”

Adele appeared at the doorway and Sebastien looked at her for support.

“You’re sure?” She asked as she walked over to them, the other children following behind her, curious to see who would win, now that it was two against one, Sebastien would still bet on Albert.

“If your brothers got new presents, you wouldn’t mind, this picture of giraffes is more important to you?”

“I think it’s horses, love.” Sebastien said.

“Doggies!” Jean-Pierre said confidently.

“Obviously, they’re elephants.” Henri corrected his family.

“There is nothing obvious about this painting, love.” Adele said with a frown.

“You’re all wrong. If I tell you what it is will you let me keep it, please? It’s unique.”

“That is one word for it.” Sebastien said causing Adele to grin at him.

“It is, it’s special! I won’t move. Ever. But if you let me keep it, I’ll be good, I will do anything, please.” Sebastien and Adele looked at each other. Albert was normally very well behaved, he always worked hard and he had asked Sebastien, while he was half asleep a few days ago if he could keep the special picture as a Christmas present. He had agreed, he was struggling to paint over it anyway, every time he tried, he heard his sons sad little voice ‘you promised, papa.’ They had other ways of making money he decided as he saw Adele silently come to the same conclusion.

“Alright, we can keep it.”

*

Florence, 2024

“This entire exhibit seems rude and mean.” Joe said as they wandered around as a group.

“Well to be fair, anyone old enough to have their work displayed in ‘Ugliest Art of the Renaissance era’ won’t be alive to see this.” Nile said as the group paused to look at the picture of a particularly disturbing looking baby.

“Besides you might find Nicky’s painting.” Andy said expertly dodging the playful kicks that Joe and Nicky both aimed at her.

“You made a painting?” Nile asked excitedly. She loved art, especially renaissance paintings, her Booker and Joe enjoyed going to art galleries and museums together to look at the paintings and discuss the different themes and techniques used whereas Nicky, Quynh and Andy tagged along to spend their time trying to see who could spot the most art inspired by the guard.

“It was actually pretty bad, not as disturbing as that,” Nicky said nodding at another creepy baby with the face of a seventy-year-old man. “But it wasn’t winning any prizes.”

“It was beautiful.” Joe said whimsically.

“Why don’t you still have it?” Nile asked.

“Stupid fucking philistines decided to have a ‘bonfire of the vanities’ while we were on a mission, saving orphans, those assholes threatened our servant and raided our home.”

“I still don’t know why they considered that a vanity.” Andy said dryly.

“It’s there! Look!” Quynh said excitedly pointing to the other side of the room. “Come on!” She said leading Joe over to the other side of the room enthusiastically.

The others followed them over although Nicky hung back.

“That’s not it.” Joe said as soon as he was within ten paces of it.

“Yes it is!” Quynh said as she turned away from the large painting in front of them looking towards Andy for support. Booker and Nile stood slightly behind them, they were both curious, especially Booker since the same painting had been described to him in four very different ways.

“I’m not sure love, I thought the animals were more of a blue colour.”

“They were purple and the sky was a darker colour and there were more stars.” Joe said confidently.

“Oh sorry, I really thought I found it.”

“It’s ok, thanks anyway.” Joe said as he smiled at her.

“I shouldn’t have got your hopes up, come on I’ll buy lunch, you can choose.” Quynh said as she linked her arm with his.

“Can we go somewhere nearby? I’m starving.” Nicky added quickly.

“Don’t feel bad Quynh, at least you know what the painting depicts.” Andy said as she walked behind them with the rest of the guard.

“What is it?” Nile asked excitedly. Andy whispered her answer to her and Booker after making them promise not to tell Joe. Booker looked thoughtful as Nile looked confused.

“Wait, after more than five hundred years and he never guessed that?” Nile asked incredulously, as Joe rolled his eyes and decided that they were going to a vegan restaurant, if his choice happened to annoy Andy that was purely coincidental.

*

Joe awoke to the ringing of the doorbell. It was much too early for visitors. He sighed as he felt the warm body expertly slip out of his arms.

“Just leave it and come back to bed, it’s too cold.” He felt the bed cover be pulled up to his chin and folded cosily around him, then a warm hand stroked his face briefly before he heard Nicky pad out of the room and down the stairs.

Nicky yawned as he opened the door to find Booker stood on his doorstep. A large black object propped up in front of him.

“Is everything ok?” Nicky asked, it was unusual for them to visit each other this early when they were relaxing.

“Yeah, can I come in?”

“Course.” Nicky said moving aside to let him in. He sat at the kitchen table while Nicky made them both coffees. He placed a yellow cup in front of him and got a muttered thanks in return. He was being unusually quiet and kept shooting worried glances at the black object.

“Do you want me to get Joe?” He shook his head looking down into his mug, fingers tracing the lines of the pattern of hot air balloons engraved on it. With one last look at the mysterious black object he turned to Nicky, who had sat waiting patiently and gave him an encouraging little smile which he returned weakly.

“I have been thinking about your painting, it reminded me of one of Albert’s favourites as a kid, I was getting less successful pieces of art back then and painting over them, I did quite a few but there was this one that he absolutely fell in love with, he called it special and I just couldn’t bring myself to paint over it, he told me I couldn’t, wouldn’t, that I was too good a papa and I would keep my promise, he was the only person who always had faith in me, his entire life, I couldn’t keep all the promises that I made to him, I couldn’t keep him safe,” he paused for a second as he looked down and swallowed. Nicky reached out and placed his hand on top of Bookers, who tried to smile gratefully although it looked more like a grimace. He squeezed Nicky’s hand lightly before getting to his feet and going to the black object carefully unzipping the cover.

“I kept it all these years, I wouldn’t break my promise, but I think Albert would want it to be with someone who truly appreciates it.” He said as he removed the last of the covering and turned to see Nicky’s reaction.

“It’s not mine.”

“Yes, it is, I just saw your face.”

“You can keep it we don’t mind. We want you to have it.”

“I just saw your reaction, Joe loves this painting, it’s yours.” Nicky searched his eyes.

“I’m sure Nicky, honestly, I have a photo of it on my phone and it will be safe here, I need to know it’s in a happy home, with my family.”

Nicky considered before pulling Booker into a hug which he gratefully returned.

“Thank you, brother.” Nicky said in Bookers first language.

“You’re welcome.” He replied, using the same dialect he had used with Albert.

“You know that painting caused a lot of debate in our home, I thought it was horses, Adele said giraffes, Henri was sure it was elephants and Jean-Pierre said dogs.”

“What did Albert think?” Nicky asked as they ended their hug. He smiled as Booker answered him. “He was always my favourite; he had such a wonderful way of viewing the world.”

“Don’t tell Joe but you were his favourite too.”

*

Joe was amazed. It was there, his beloved painting hung on the wall of their home, now with a beautiful silver frame attached. The oddly proportioned creatures smiled at him with their sharp teeth and he smiled right back.

With the sight of the picture wonderful memories drifted into his mind, the night Nico presented it to him, so unsure but determined to keep his promise, the night he finally realised why it was so special, the night the week after, they stumbled back from the festival drunk on wine and each other, days of simply cuddling together while reading or collapsing onto cushions as soon as they were through the door, exhausted after a job. He could feel a warm hand in his, a blanket lovingly draped over him as he fell asleep to the comforting sound of a heartbeat under his ear, a lifetime of love, a happy home.

He sensed Nicky move forward from behind him. Joe reached for him blindly finding his arm effortlessly and joining their hands. He was still scared that if he looked away the painting would disappear. 

“How?”

“Booker, he’s had it for years, he had no idea I painted it until yesterday. Is it still as you remember it?”

“It’s even more beautiful.” Joe said as Nicky wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed his cheek.

“Go stand next to it, would you, I want a picture?” Joe asked sweetly.

“Ok.” Nicky said indulgently as he moved towards it. It wasn’t really as bad as he remembered. It reminded him of Yusuf staring at it for hours, the smile that appeared on his face just before he made an incorrect guess, the laughter that they shared as his guesses became wildly more ridiculous, the feel of a warm hand in his guiding him past it to their soft, warm bed after a long day of work, either in their shop or saving lives. Even as he was exhausted or grumpy, or anxious, it was the first thing as he opened the door, that his brain registered as belonging to their home. Their safe and loving home.

“Damn, it’s dying, the charger still in your bag?” Joe asked as he automatically reached to unzip Nicky’s rucksack. After more than nine hundred years together, the majority of it travelling, their bags were deliberately a mixture of both of their possessions, in case one of them lost his bag. It was usual for them to rummage around each other’s bags without a second thought.

“No!” Nicky said in a panicked voice as he moved towards his bag.

“What?” Joe asked defensively as Nicky froze.

“It’s not in there, I didn’t want you to waste time looking.”

Joe eyed him suspiciously for a few seconds before peeking into the bag again and pulling out a small drawing, in a protective transparent case. It clearly did not belong with the other things. It was also very old and not very good. The scale was completely wrong, the man’s head much too big, the legs of the horse too long. He remembered making it. It didn’t take long for him to realise where it came from.

“Those assholes.”

“Yeah, they really are, to add a drawing like this to that arrogant, snobby little exhibit. They are complete idiots. Philistines.” Nicky said putting an arm around Joe’s shoulders who instead pulled him into a hug.

“That’s why Quynh was in such a rush to get me out of there? Thank you love, but it’s hardly my best work, it was my third attempt, the scale is all wrong and trying to draw from memory is so much harder, I just drew it because-” Joe stopped talking as he looked directly at the painting.

Everything suddenly clicked into place.

“Hmmmmm?” Nicky asked head still on top of Joe’s shoulder.

Joe grinned as he pulled away and excitedly held up his drawing to Nicky.

“What’s this drawing of?”

“Me stood next to a horse.” Nicky said in a hesitant tone. Joe phrased the question as if it was a trick.

“But which horse?” He asked as if stating the obvious.

“Joe, there have been a lot of horses.” Nicky said weakly.

Joe simply pointed at the picture. Nicky looked down at it, concentrating. The picture was shown to him in 1405 so he only had to remember horses from around the first three hundred and fifty years of his life. There were still a lot. It was black, it seemed to have no particularly memorable features, the drawing was too simple to definitively even guess the breed and there appeared to be no background detail to give him any clues to the location.

“Can you give me a clue?”

“It was a special horse.” Nicky blinked at him.

“Thank you, my heart, that was very helpful.” Nicky said dryly.

“You’re welcome, my soul.” Joe said with a wink, his smile hadn’t weakened at all.

“A special horse, special because you bought it for me?” He guessed feebly, it was very unlikely, they both shared their money for essentials since they became tentative friends and horses were definitely considered essential back then.

“No.”

If this wasn’t about how he got the horse it must have been about the horse itself. Was it a particularly brave horse? Did he ever own one that fought off attackers or dragged him from a burning building, he didn’t remember anything like that. There weren’t any black horses that he remembered either of them being particularly attached to either. But there was one that absolutely hated Yusuf.

“Angel?” Joe nodded enthusiastically. “But you hated her, she hated you, every time you went near her, she bared her teeth and started stomping.” Nicky said with a laugh.

“And every time you went near her, she was a perfect little angel.” Joe said rolling his eyes but still smiling as he put the drawing down on the end table.

“Why would you pick her, out of all of the horses, we only had her for less than a year before we had to sell her?”

“You don’t know?”

“No.”

“Hmmm interesting, after more than five hundred years of ‘no, not quite, keep guessing my love.’ Now that the shoe is on the other foot, you want me to just tell you?”

Nicky stepped forward sliding his hands up their leather jacket, which Joe was currently wearing, They came to rest on the sides of his neck and stroked his skin softly. Joe’s hands found their familiar place on Nicky’s hips.

“Yes please, my heart.” Joe looked into his eyes and acquiesced to his request; he had wanted to tell him anyway.

“Ok, since you asked so nicely and you’re worse than me at guessing, I’ll tell you. I picked her because the day that we got her and my sane horse, when we finished riding it was your turn to build a fire and mine to look after the horses. Five times, five fucking times I tried to feed that ungrateful creature and she snarled at me and stomped, her evil little ears were pulled back, she hated me and then you just walk right up to her and she’s completely docile, so I tried again, walked directly up to her head, where her beady little left eye was, speaking softly, so I wouldn’t shock her and she still had the nerve to snarl at me, so I gave up and I was swearing under my breath, I don’t think you could properly translate half of those words back then, and you laughed.”

Joe stopped speaking for a moment, his smile becoming even wider as Nicky continued to laugh, remembering that day, it was infectious, the sound caused a warm sensation to settle in Joe’s belly. It was wonderful to know that it had the same effect on him now as it did all those years ago and he knew that it would for all the years that he had left to live. 

“It was the first time I’d heard you truly laugh, you had sniggered before and smirked but it was so different, you were snorting and giggling, it was the most joyous, infectious sound, it made me smile and laugh and god I loved that horse for getting you to make that sound. That evening, I realised that I wanted to hear that sound every day of my life. It wasn’t the day I fell in love with you, you already know about that day, but it was the day that I realised that I had feelings for you, romantic ones.” They had both stopped laughing now, Nicky was listening quietly, eyes full of love, like always and now thoughtfulness too.

“When I sat down hundreds of years later, I remembered that evening, I couldn’t remember which town we bought her from or what jobs we picked up to pay for her but I remembered that sound, that look, that feeling.”

Ten different responses ran through Nicky’s head but he could only manage one word at the moment, anything else temporarily impossible, his heart thudding against his chest, his stomach warm, his throat breathless.

“Yusuf.” He breathed against his lips before leaning in to kiss him. The kiss was full of passion and adoration. In seconds Joe has allowed Nicky to back him into the wall, his hand already behind Joe’s head to make sure he doesn’t hit it. The kiss not halting for a moment. Their movements familiar and tantalising, completely lost in each other, centuries of experience meaning that they know exactly how exhilarating every touch, kiss and bite will be.

Nicky moves his arms down from Joe’s neck pushing the jacket off his shoulders, which Joe happily shrugs out of, breaking their kiss momentarily, something that reminds Joe that he had been in the process of a break through after more than five centuries.

“Wait.” Joe says breathlessly as Nicky stops moving forward. Joe moves his head to rest their foreheads against each other. “Tell me why you painted those awful camels.” Nicky grins.

“I appreciated them.”

Joe raises his eyebrows at him before leaning his head on his shoulder and peering at the painting. The camels smile back at him. They are a lot friendlier than their real-life counterparts were. For most of their travels before they met Andy and Quynh they rode horses, there was only one time when they had to ride camels. It was enough to put Joe off the animals for centuries.

“Haven’t you already worked it out?” Nicky asks.

“No, I know that it was years before we got together, and this time they hated both of us, so I need a little help in seeing why that was such a special time.”

“They really did hate us,” Nicky said with a smile on his face. “No one wanted them, they spat at us as soon as we got within ten paces of them. I watched you haggle with their owner for an hour, it was back when my Arabic was unintelligible to anyone but you, and I couldn’t understand most of the words you said but apparently, he ripped us off and you walked over with these two enormous angry looking things that sat down for two hours and refused to get up and that asshole who sold them to us just offered to help if we paid him again, while laughing.”

“He really was an asshole.” Joe confirmed from his comfortable position on Nicky’s shoulder.

“We didn’t give in. We finally got them to move, everything was looking up and we got out of that nasty town. Except after about two minutes, annoying town still in sight, mine gave up and sat down again. You were so frustrated with it because it was going to take ages to get to the next city. But I was ecstatic. I was worried that you might find someone there.”

Joe scoffed.

“I was happy to take years to get there. He kept doing it so after a while we took turns leading him and sometimes, we shared yours, this was back when we hadn’t even held hands,”

“Dark times, indeed.” Joe said as he intertwined their hands.

“So being so close to you was different. I know they are pretty big but it felt a lot more intimate. I already knew I didn’t think of you as just a friend. It was a long day and we were both fed up of being spit at and harassed by those animals but we came across that cave to sleep in, remember?”

“Fucking bats.” Joe muttered although he seemed to be able to smile about it now.

“Yep, there were hundreds of them and we ran, and then the camels ran. I ended up slipping and fell down the hill, breaking about half a dozen bones. Somehow, we managed to get them back but it took hours. I was exhausted, annoyed and anxious, I sorted out our bedrolls, right next to each other, you made the fire and you lied down next to me, put your arm around me and we moved closer like we always did, for warmth.”

“Hmmm, purely for practical reasons.” Joe said sarcastically.

Nicky smiled as he began stroking his curls absentmindedly.

“And I realised that absolutely nothing else in the world mattered to me, you were telling me about all the exciting things we would do when we got to whatever city we were going to, I can’t remember, but I remember all the worry and annoyance drifted away, I felt so content and safe, it felt like home. It was then I realised that we might spend the rest of our lives moving from place to place, dealing with horrible people and every animal we come across might be out to get us but you were my home. It was my last thought that night as I closed my eyes looking at those camels.”

Joe smiled at the picture before placing a soft kiss to the side of Nicky’s neck. He pulled back slightly to look at him properly, hands still entwined. After almost a thousand years together, they both knew exactly how the other felt, it wasn’t necessary to vocalise it, love was present in every touch, every look, every conversation, silent or otherwise.

He leaned forward and kissed Nicky on the forehead. “Thank you.” He said softly.

“You’re welcome.” Nicky murmured back.

They both moved as one towards the bedroom stopping before the painting for one last look before leaving the room.

“Can you tell me why the camels are purple though?”

“Because mixing colours is difficult and it was set at night time, so I was trying to make them look sort of ethereal.”

“I see that.”

“No, you don’t. I barely do.”

“No, I don’t but I like it more that way. Things that look perfect on paper or canvas never are, look at us, we had different religions, came from different cultures and killed each other and now…” he drifts off as he turns to look at the man who is and always will be all and more to him.

“You are my heart.”

“And you are my soul.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I hope you all enjoyed it, please review or drop me a kudos if you did and if you have time, if you don't thank you for reading anyway, hope you all have a lovely night/day!
> 
> 1809 is three years before Napoleon invaded Russia and I don't know the date that Booker chose to join the army instead of going to jail but I liked the idea that his kids were still pretty young when it happened.
> 
> I couldn't find their names, so sorry I tried to pick historically accurate ones. I don't know if the comics specify if they all ended up hating him or he just sort of focused on Jean-Pierre's scared not in his right mind deathbed reaction because it was so traumatic but I like the second option so his other kids died loving him and without blaming him in my version.
> 
> The Bonfire of the Vanities occurred on 7th February 1497. It was led by Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola. I'm not gonna lie, I have been heavily influenced by Netflix's Medici, which is a really good show, but obviously very Pro-Medici so I'm not sure quite how vicious his supporters were but they were definitely pretty threatening and according to Wikipedia thousands of objects, including paintings, sculptures, cosmetics, musical instruments and books that were deemed to be immoral were burned. But not Nicky's painting because their neighbour took the opportunity to rob them, pretended to be a Savonarola supporter, threatened their poor servant and hid their loot until they could safely sell it in another city.


End file.
